The Darkness Has Come
by JadeDragonKnight
Summary: A dark force threatens to consume the world.  It's up to the Brawl team to stop it, but their greatest enemy could be each other.  Secrets are revealed in this action-packed sequel to Origin of the Dark Knight.
1. Prologue

The Darkness Has Come

By: JadeDragonKnight

Prologue

A dark shadow clouds all sight and sound. Nothing is heard. Nothing moves. The silence is almost too much to bear. Suddenly, the clouds part, and the faint sounds begin to fill the void. This new world may have much more to offer. Now, the search must continue. Only one life force is needed to complete the transfer.

The soft ground parted easily upon touching it. The faint sounds come from a massive body of water licking the land. The sky above was just as black as the world that was left behind. The dim lights in this blacken sky were the only things that were new. Suddenly, a slight tug was felt. Could it be that the search was over? The direction of this feeling came from a light glowing in the distance, the aura of a life force. The ground parts quickly behind. The cloudy image shows a climbing motion up a different life form to get a better look at this light. This life force unexpectedly radiates power like no other. Yes, this force will do very nicely. All became bright as the forms joined together. Then all went dark again, into another silent slumber.

* * *

I tossed and turned and yet this horrible feeling won't go away. Is this another bad dream? Suddenly, I felt a jolt of pain. I opened my eyes to see that I fell on the ground. I sat up and looked back up at the hammock. It still rocked from the sudden change of movement. I looked to see that the sun was half way up the sky. It must still be morning. The headache was gone along with the painful feeling in the pit of my stomach. I could feel some sweat streaming down my face. These constant nightmares are getting worse every night. Oh well. It's a new day and it's probably best not to think of nightmares now. I wiped the sweat from my face, stood up, and starting stretching. A growl came from my stomach. I guess I was just hungry last night. Well, no time like the present. It's time to get some breakfast.

Now, you're probably wondering who I am. My name is Jade. Right now I'm living in a world that you may find pretty strange. Even though I'm fourteen, I've only lived in this world for four years, but that's a whole different story. I'm also part of a team of heroes and villains. Well, I like to call it a team, but we have many differences that keep us apart. We don't even have a name! Still, whenever trouble comes around, we always band together to save the day and even the world.

Speaking of the team, I haven't seen any of them in a while. Last time I saw any one, I was with one member who saved my life, again, and then he left. I don't know how long it's been. I stopped counting after the first week. After that, I've just been living alone here on this beach, in the middle of nowhere. Solitude isn't that bad. I mean I got a great view of the ocean and the sand here is very soothing. I guess the only downside is I only have fish and tropical fruits to eat. After a while, you start to think of hamburgers and steaks! I guess a coconut or two will calm my hunger.

I stared up a palm tree at the ripe fruits that hung from the tall plant. I heard the only way to get a coconut was to climb up there and get it yourself, but that's the last thing I want to do. I concentrated on my right arm. Soon, it started to glow light blue. I held my arm back as the glow grew lighter. Then, I swung my arm up in the direction of the coconuts. The light traveled away from me and disappeared upon reaching the fruit. Suddenly, two coconuts fell to the ground. Oh, did I forget to mention that I have powers? Well, now you know, and now I have breakfast.

I sat down in the shade of the palm tree and cracked one of the coconuts open. As I drank the sweet fluids, I thought of the nightmare I've been having the last few days. I haven't really been getting any quality sleep lately. I looked over at my hammock. Maybe I should be sleeping in an actual bed. I don't think I can check in a hotel because I don't have any money. Maybe I can sleep at a friend's house? Maybe a member of the team? Well, there's only one team member I know that has a house of their own. I finished my last coconut and took out my communicator. I set it to locate him then stood up to prepare for the trip. I ran down the beach and closed my eyes. Soon, I saw a light and began to glow light blue. I could feel wings emerging from my back. I opened my eyes and flapped my wings. I slowly lifted off the ground and was flying away from the beach. If anyone doesn't remember from the last story, this is my light form. I flew in the direction of the communicator's signal. It shouldn't take me long before I reach my destination.


	2. Chapter 1 The Mansion

The Darkness Has Come

By: JadeDragonKnight

Chapter 1: The Mansion

I landed softly on the road that led up to an enormous green mansion. When I reached the large door, I took the golden knocker and tapped the door. I could hear the echo of the sound through the mansion. I hope he was still home. Suddenly, I heard someone unlock the door. It slowly swung open revealing a man with a mustache, gloves, overalls, and was covered with green clothes and a green cap marked with a L.

"Jade, is that you?" the man asked with a slight Italian accent.

"Hi Luigi," I said with a smile.

We gave each other a little hug as he welcomed me in.

"It's great to see you again," I said while looking around his old styled home.

Luigi closed the door and said, "Yes, we haven't seen each other since we battled, uh what was his name?"

"Arseus?"

"Yes, that was it. What happened to him anyway? He just disappeared."

"Well, I don't really want to talk about it."

The truth is that Arseus turned into a giant beast and turned everyone except me into stone. I was still ok because one of the teammates saved me. He took the force of the blast himself. I was so enraged that I ended up killing Arseus. After that, I freed the team from becoming statues. I'm still kind of upset that I killed Arseus.

"I'm sorry for asking," I heard Luigi say, losing my train of thought.

"It's ok."

Luigi led me to the kitchen. I guess he didn't eat yet. I saw that he was cooking something and whatever it was, it was making me hungry again.

"I haven't finished cooking breakfast yet. You can have some if you like."

I heard my stomach growl at that last sentence.

I smiled weakly and said, "I guess that would be nice. Thank you."

Luigi rushed over to the stove when the tea pot started to whistle. I sat down at the table and patiently waited for the meal.

Well, while I'm waiting, I could tell you what I know of Luigi. He and his brother, Mario, used to be plumbers, but changed to saving people instead. Mario seems to be better known than his brother, but Luigi is well known for something. He's famous for being a little bit of a scaredy-cat. I also heard his mansion is haunted. Talk about living in your worst nightmare!

Luigi brought over some food for us. Turns out, he was making an omelet. The smell tickled my nose and teased my senses.

He must have noticed that my mouth was watering and said, "What are you waiting for? Dig in."

I did what he said without question. The food was delicious. I ate my half quickly and thanked him for cooking it while I was doing so. I guess you get that way from eating nothing but fish and fruit for a long time. I think Luigi should've been a chef rather than a plumber.

Once we were done eating, it was time to get down to business.

"Is there any reason you came to visit?" Luigi asked.

"Actually, yes there is. I've been having some trouble sleeping lately."

"Oh, why?"

"I've been having nightmares for the last few days and they're getting worse."

I found that Luigi was listening intently.

"What is the dream about," he asked.

"It's really weird. All I see is a dark fog everywhere. I used to see bright red eyes staring at me, but now I'm starting to see the figure of a man."

At this, Luigi seemed to stiffen.

"The man doesn't do anything, but whenever I see him I feel pain all over me. Then when I wake up the feeling goes away."

"Maybe you know him?"

"No, I don't, but he comes out clearer and the feeling gets worse every night. I don't know what's happening to me."

Luigi tapped his finger on the table, trying to think of something to say.

Then he stood up and said, "Well I don't know if this dream means anything, but if you need a place to stay you're welcome to stay here as long as you like."

I smiled at him and said, "Thanks Luigi."

* * *

The day turned to night and Luigi led me to my room. He was anxiously swinging around his flashlight as we went through the hallways. He jumped a bit when I tapped his shoulder.

"Um, Luigi," I asked, "what's the flashlight for?"

He turned around and replied, "I don't have any lights installed yet, but I'm working on it."

We arrived at the guestroom. I looked inside to see it was much like a five star hotel room.

I sat on the queen sized bed that faced the doorway and said, "This is too much, Luigi. You didn't have to do all this for me."

He shrugged and said, "It's no trouble at all. I have to use these old rooms for something you know."

We exchanged 'goodnight's and at that Luigi closed the door and everything went dark. I sat there for a while in the eerie silence. It felt kind of spooky spending the night in a haunted house, but then again it was kind of cool. Who else gets to sleep in a haunted mansion? I slid under the covers and slowly closed my eyes, welcoming the much needed rest.

* * *

The sound of snoring was the only thing that broke the silence. Luigi was fast asleep and seemed to be oblivious to anything that could wake him up. Then, a faint moan echoed through the mansion. Luigi stopped his next snore short. Another moan filled the room. He rubbed his eyes open and listened to what awakened him. Hearing nothing, he attempted to drift into slumber again. Then, he heard the faint moan that sent shivers down his spine. He sat up, fully awake, and listened again for the eerie cry. He heard it once more and jumped out of bed, stumbling to the floor as he did so. Luigi nervously searched for his flashlight on his nightstand and flipped it on. He hurried to his closet, trembling every time he heard the dreadful sound. He yanked out a ghost vacuum and dragged it behind him as he anxiously entered the hallway.

The moaning continued to echo through the hallway and stiffen Luigi's every muscle. The rolling appliance did nothing to calm him. As he approached Jade's room, the moaning grew louder and clearer.

He stood in front of the door and nervously asked, "J-Jade, are you o-ok?"

Hearing another moan his trembling hand reached for the doorknob. Luigi slowly opened the door and saw Jade was thrashing about in pain. The flashlight showed the reflection of sweat beading on her forehead. She moaned loudly from her pain. Luigi stood there, not knowing what to do. When he went to wake her up, he was stopped by the sight of a shadow emerging from her head. He shook violently as the shadow was taking form. Jade's groaning grew louder into cries of pain. Suddenly, bright red eyes opened on the shadow and stared down at the quivering man. Luigi's mouth gapped open and strange sounds of fear came from his throat. The last bit of the shadow exited Jade's body, and she went limp. Then, it suddenly circled the room and shot through the window. No glass shattered from the ghostly impact.

Luigi stared blankly at the window. His violent shaking had stopped. He dropped the vacuum handle and the flashlight. Then, he fell backwards and fainted.

* * *

My eyes fluttered open. Sunlight shone through the window and brightened the room. I sat up and stretched my arms then I noticed the door was open. I threw the covers back and slowly got up. Then, I saw something lying on the floor. I walked up and squatted down to see a vacuum, a flashlight, and Luigi! I held his head up while shaking him.

"Luigi, wake up!"

His eyes fluttered open and he squinted at me. Then, he screamed and started to freak out.

I clutched him and shouted, "Luigi, what's wrong? It's just me!"

He started to breath heavily and gasped in between breathes, "You, shadow, head!"

"What are you talking about?"

"Are you ok?"

"Yes, but I'm more concerned about you right now."

Luigi steadied his breathing and cleared his throat.

"I saw something come out of your head last night."

I looked at him like he was crazy.

"I'll tell you everything."

I listened to Luigi's story about what happened last night. I didn't really want to believe it, but I knew it was true. My nightmare did suddenly go away last night, along with the pain. My only real concern was if Luigi was ok.

"Did the shadow hurt you," I asked.

"No, but it went out the window without opening it or breaking it."

I propped my head on the kitchen table. If the shadow came from me, did I make it without knowing it? Suddenly, my communicator started vibrating. Luigi's went off too. We both took them out and heard Fox's voice through the speaker.

"This is an emergency. Something strange has been happening at this location," suddenly a map comes up with a flashing red dot, "meet us here. We will fill you in once you arrive."

Then, the transmission ended and we looked up at each other.

"Looks like we're needed," I said.

Luigi nodded and we rushed outside. Too bad we had to skip breakfast.

I took out my communicator and looked up at the sky. It was clear and sunny with a few clouds dotting the endless blue horizon, perfect for flight.

I turned to Luigi and asked, "Have you ever flown before?"

He shook his head.

I squatted down and said, "Here, hop on."

"What? Why?"

"Come on. Trust me."

He hesitantly climbed on my back and held onto my shoulders.

"Ok, hold on," I said with a grin.

I turned into my light form while Luigi eyed with shock at my glowing wings. I jumped high in the air and flapped my wings. Luigi clutched my shoulders and held on for dear life.

"Hey, can you navigate?" I shouted back to him.

"S-Sure."

He pulled out his communicator and pointed in the direction we should go. I banked left and headed toward some distant mountains.


	3. Chapter 2 Surprise Attack

The Darkness Has Come

By: JadeDragonKnight

Chapter 2: Surprise Attack

"Are we getting close?"

Luigi didn't respond. He was too occupied clinging to me.

"Luigi?" I shouted back.

"Huh?"

"Are we close?"

He shifted a little to pull out his communicator.

"We're almost there. They should be in that plain… way down there." He stammered at that last remark.

"You mean that flat desert? Why would Fox want us to regroup there?"

"I-I don't k-know, but w-we're really high up."

Luigi resumed clutching me.

"Luigi, I can't breathe."

He loosened up and said, "Sorry."

I attempted to land as softly as I could, but it's not that easy when you have a passenger. I stumbled to a stop on the hot ground and returned to my normal self. Luigi was still holding on to me with his eyes shut tight.

"Luigi, it's over. You can let go now."

He eyed the ground then slowly got off, patting me on the back as he did so. I guess he didn't enjoy the ride too much.

I saw that some members of the team had already arrived. Some were just hanging around, but others were staring at some far-off mountain top. When I tried to get a good look of it, Fox walked up to us. I doubt he was here to welcome us.

"Good. You're here," he stated.

"So, what's the emergency?" I asked.

"The Arwing's radar picked up a strange signal around here. I went to investigate and found that there seems to be a black fog covering the mountain's peak."

"A black fog," I asked while looking ahead to get a better view.

"Yes. Lucario was already here trying to find out what it really was. He says the peak has a 'dark aura' surrounding it. Any input?"

I thought of the shadow that Luigi saw last night, but I doubted it had anything to do with this.

"No. I kind of agree with Lucario." I shrugged.

"Well, whatever it is none of us like it. I was hoping to wait for everyone to get here so we can do a team investigation, if you don't mind waiting."

"Oh, I can wait."

Fox nodded and headed back to Lucario for another report. I finally got a good look at the mountain top. It was like Fox described it. An ominous dark haze covered the peak, not allowing any light to reach the surface. Luigi overheard our conversation and cringed at the sight of the cloud. I didn't like it either, but I think a team search is necessary.

I looked around to see how many of us were here. It seemed that we were all here. I did a quick head count. Only three people were missing. I didn't have to wait too long to figure out who they were. A distant rumble in the air prompted everyone to look in the direction of the sound. A giant airship could be made out in the sky and was quickly approaching. Many cannons and turrets lined the sides of the ship. Its bat-like wings glided through the air. The bow was simply a massive mask. The battleship's name was the Halberd. I know this, because I rebuilt it once before.

Air rushed past us as the enormous ship prepared to land. The ground trembled from the touchdown. The engines went silent, leaving us in suspense. Then, a hatch door opened. The sound of foot steps echoed in the air. The first person emerged. The cute, unmistakable, pink ball Kirby happily walked out on the ground to greet us.

"What ever happened to 'king's first'?" escaped the ship.

Out stepped the "mighty" king of Dream Land, King Dedede. He poised his large hammer on his shoulder and his robe barely dragged behind. I looked back up at the open hatch. Was that it? Were they the only ones? Then, more foot steps came from the doorway. One last team member stepped out into the open, Meta Knight.

As he set foot on land, the ship's hatch closed behind.

"This better be good, Fox," King Dedede annoyingly said. "What's so important you had to call us in the middle of the desert for?"

"As if you had anything else to do," Meta Knight murmured.

Dedede crossed his arms and replied, "Was I talking to you? No, so shut-up."

Meta Knight rolled his eyes. How does he deal with that stuff every day?

"Well, now that you're here," Fox began, "do you have any idea what that is?"

He pointed to the dark cloud on the mountain's peak.

"A big pain in the butt," Dedede muttered.

"What?"

"Oh, the mountain? I thought you were talking about short-stack over there."

He pointed his thumb at Meta Knight.

"Hmph," the knight mumbled.

Fox tried to explain to him what was going on, but Dedede has a very short attention span.

"This is about that fog, isn't it?"

I turned to see Meta Knight was standing next to me, but his eyes remained on the summit. I nodded.

"Yeah, Fox said he got a weird signal from it, and Lucario says it has a dark aura. I really don't know what it is."

"Hmm, did anything unusual cause this?"

I felt that I should tell him about the nightmare. I mean, he told me something about himself that he felt should remain secret. I just feel comfortable to tell him.

"Well, I've had a strange nightmare recently."

He looked up at me.

"What was it?" he asked.

"A figure of a man surrounded by darkness, and every time I saw him I would feel pain. Luigi said he saw a shadow come out of me last night, the last I saw the dream."

"What direction was it heading?"

"I don't know."

He gazed back at the mountain.

"Your nightmare may be here," he spoke softly.

I looked at him puzzled. He might be right, but I hope he's not.

"Dedede, this is serious!" I heard Fox shout.

We both stared at them.

"Come on, Fox! It's a fog. It'll go away," Dedede frustratingly replied with his arms crossed.

"I don't like being out here as much as you do, but that fog isn't going-"

"It's changing."

We all turned towards Lucario. His eyes were still closed, sensing all auras around him.

"It's changing?" Fox questioned.

Lucario was right. The cloud started to shift and compress.

"See, it's going away," Dedede said ignorantly.

The haze then parted and revealed a massive fortress griping the mountain peak. Several gasps and murmurs were heard.

"Oh," the king relented.

Lucario opened his eyes and returned to the crowd, his first job complete.

"Alright, now that we know what we're dealing with, this is a good time to do a team investigation," Fox spoke over the crowd.

"Investigate that thing? It'll be better if we just left it be," someone called out.

"No, we should go there and take that fortress down before it causes any harm," another person announced.

An argument erupted between the team whether to go to the fortress or not. I sighed in dismay. This quarrel isn't going to get us anywhere. I glanced at Meta Knight to see he was still staring at the stronghold.

He threw up his hand towards the swarm and shouted, "Quiet!"

They all abruptly stopped fighting and stared at him. He looked as if he was listening for something.

He lowered his arm and muttered, "Something's coming."

More hushed whispers came from the crowd. Some looked out into the empty space between us and the mountain side.

My eyes went wide when I saw a dark shadow envelop the dry ground not too far away. Then, something slowly emerged from the front of the haze. It stood hunched over and looked at us with piercing yellow eyes. Then, sharp quills shot out from its back. Its hands formed razor-sharp claws. Its feet grew wider to support its new weight. A tail grew out and shifted on the ground. It threw its head back and gave a horrible screech that made my skin crawl. Everyone went into defense mode except Meta Knight. He still watched the creature, but I could tell he was getting tense. My heart started pounding when more and more of those things formed from the shadow, making an army. At this, Meta Knight slowly drew his sword and clutched it with both hands, waiting.

Then, the creatures swiftly charged toward us. Anyone that could shoot fired at the army of monsters. Most of them disappeared into puffs of dark smoke. Then, black shadows surged towards the party in place of the fallen creatures. More of them leapt out of the black spots and began to attack the group. I ran up to help, but was stopped cold by the sight of the shadows coming at me and Meta Knight. I readied myself for the impending attack, but Meta Knight raced towards them, his sword glowing behind him. The creatures jumped out of the ground and attempted to pile on him. He slowed and swung his sword at them, doing a battle cry. The light escaped his sword and sliced through the air bound fiends. They let out cries of pain then disappeared for good. Then, Meta Knight pushed off the ground and flew towards the charging army. He flew in head long and vanished into the horde.

I was a little stunned to see his actions, but snapped back to attention when more creatures charged at me. I concentrated my light powers to my hands and shot energy balls at the approaching mass. Some disappeared with the blasts, but more raced up to me and prepared to strike. I coated my arms with light energy, making them like sharp blades, and crossed them to protect myself from the first wave. Several attacked, sending me skidding backwards. I threw my arms out and began to slice through the creatures. I was quickly overwhelmed from the lack of sight as black clouds erupted from the dying creatures. I was thrown and landed on my back. I looked up to see that the creatures surrounded me and were prepared to launch the final blow. They made their horrific cries as they came down on me. Then, they just stopped. One of their claws was barely touching my forehead. I didn't move or breathe. Then, they became a huge cloud of black smoke and disappeared.

I stood up and looked around, still stunned from the sudden change of events. I saw that most of the team was scattered. They must have been separated during the fighting. We all gathered back together. Some of us had a few minor cuts and bruises, but other than that no one had taken any real damage. Fox did a head count. The worried look on his face sent my heart pounding again. Did those things actually…kill someone?

"This isn't good. Bowser, Ganondorf, Wario, Wolf, and Meta Knight are missing," he reported dismayed.

I froze. That many people are gone? Just the thought of any of them being dead made my blood run cold, especially Meta Knight.

"Nothing's left of them here, so they must have been captured," another person said.

"No!" someone shouted in grief.

We turned to see King Dedede was kneeling on the ground, mourning.

"Why? Why did they have to die so soon? If only I could've—hey! Why were they captured? Was I not good enough for those things?!"

Some of the team started slapping their foreheads in embarrassment. Dedede's random outburst did nothing to cheer me up.

"Clearly, this situation has become more than an investigation. Now, this has become a search and rescue mission," Falco stated.

"Most of our enemies are in there. I say let them rot," someone argued.

Some words of agreement circled around the group.

"They may be our enemies," Falco began, "but they still stood by us in the past. Plus, they're part of the team, and no member of the team gets left behind! Now, let's go up there and show those things what we can do!"

Many cheers were heard and arms holding weapons were raised high in the air.

"Wait!"

The cheering stopped.

"This is just what they want us to do. If we go in there, we'll be in their element. We won't stand a chance!"

Lucario did make a pretty good point. The rest of us would be in danger if we go in there, but we can't just leave them in that citadel.

"Come on, Lucario. It's not like we haven't done this kind of stuff before," another person declared. With that note, the team started heading towards the mountain with the exception of a few members.

* * *

Soon, we were all alone. There weren't very many of us left. Even though searching the place was his idea, Fox stayed behind with the rest of us. I guess he realized that there wasn't much we could do without endangering ourselves. Lucario, Ike, Kirby, Sonic, Olimar, and Luigi were the other ones that also stayed behind. I sat on the ground nearby. Guilt tugged at my feelings. I felt bad that I didn't go with the rest of the team to rescue the others, but if I would've went, I probably would've gotten myself into trouble and caused them to have to rescue more people. I took out my communicator again. It frustrated me that I couldn't check in on anyone. When they reached the mountain, we lost their signal. Maybe they got attacked, or worse.

I stood up and said, "I can't just sit around and do nothing! They've been in there for a long time. Something could've happened to them!"

"Jade, we all know how you feel," Fox replied.

I paced back and forth. It didn't seem like anyone would go in there.

"Wait, they went in as a big group," I said.

"So?" Sonic questioned.

"So, they could've been seen a mile away. They might have been attacked because those things saw that they were coming."

"Where are you going with this?" Ike asked.

"We're a much smaller group. We could just have the element of surprise. Plus, it's easier to keep track of each other. We may be able to save everyone and stop whoever's behind this."

"Well," said Sonic as he jumped up, "that's good enough for me."

"Piyo!" Kirby said agreeing.

"That's a pretty good guess there, Jade," Fox said thoughtfully, "but there were probably other reasons they may have gotten captured."

"I know," I said regrettably, "but do you really want to wait around and see what happens? We could at least try."

Fox put his hand to his chin and stared at the ground.

Then, he looked up, held his hand in the middle of the air, and said, "Alright, I'm in."

Lucario nodded and placed his hand on top of Fox's.

"I'm in." Ike said and placed his hand on Lucario's.

"Count me in!" Sonic said as he placed his hand on top.

"Let's give it a shot," Olimar said as he reached up to join hands.

"Here we go…," Luigi muttered as placed his hand in.

"Piyo!" Kirby announced as he reached up.

I looked at everyone with pride. I nodded and place my hand on top.

"Alright, let's do this for the team." I said.

We simultaneously threw our hands up and headed for the fortress.


	4. Chapter 3 Unwelcome Arrival

The Darkness Has Come

By: JadeDragonKnight

Chapter 3: Unwelcome Arrival

We slowly headed up a path that led to the stronghold. So far so good, it seems that we haven't been spotted yet. Our communicators did go screwy a little while back, but it's not like we had any use for them anyway. The citadel was getting bigger with every step we took. We must be getting close. Ike was leading the way up the mountain trail. He rounded the next corner and went out of sight. We quickened our pace to catch up. The last thing anyone wanted was to lose sight of one another. When we caught up, he was standing there, staring at the gigantic gate to the fortress. Most of us were in awe, including me. Ike stepped forward and looked around the area. I looked too and saw that there was a huge struggle there. Long gashes lined the mountain walls and nearby boulders. Scuffmarks remained from explosions and fire. Large cracks were found almost everywhere.

Sonic stepped forward and quietly asked, "What happened here?"

We're still trying to keep our cover by being quiet.

"There was a battle here, a fierce one too." Ike whispered back.

"We know that, but what happened to everyone."

He got up and replied, "They lost."

"Oh."

Ike went to the gate. The rest of us decided to take a look around to make sure things were safe. Ike squatted down and gently brushed his hand over a door imprint on the ground.

"It looks like some of them made it," he muttered, "but not too far."

"Anything else," Fox asked softly.

"No, the trail ends here."

Olimar and Luigi hesitantly looked around. I just hope we can get through the gate without getting too much attention.

"Well, we can't stand around too long. Let's get those doors open," I whispered.

Fox, Ike, and Sonic proceeded to open the doors, but they didn't budge. We went over to help, but Lucario stopped us. Everyone stayed still. He was sensing aura again, and apparently he found something.

His eyes shot open as he shouted "Look out!"

We didn't hesitate. We all ducked behind a nearby boulder as something shot by and hit the neighboring wall. Sonic, Ike, and Fox ran over too.

As he hit the rock, Fox shouted, "What's attacking us?"

"I don't know!"

Another shot blasted the wall.

"I didn't get enough time to see it!"

Fox pulled his gun out and leaned out to get a look at the shooter. Ike yanked him back as something rushed past him. Then, I quickly saw what looked like a dark arrow. If one of us gets hit by one, we instantly turn into trophies.

"They're dark arrows!" I shouted over the explosions.

Then, the boulder started cracking up. Whoever was shooting was breaking our barrier.

"If this thing goes," Sonic yelled, "we'll be sitting ducks!"

As the last bits of the boulder broke away, Ike shouted "Move!"

We all ducked down by a low wall against the firearm.

"What do we do now?" Luigi hollered.

In truth, there wasn't much we could do. Fox put his arms over the short wall and started firing blindly and the shooter. Another arrow raced towards him. Lucario stood up and threw an aura sphere at the dark arrow. They collided and made a huge explosion, knocking us all away from the wall. Another arrow went flying through the explosion. We jumped out of the way and the arrow hit the ground, making a massive dust cloud. Most of us started coughing. I stood up and looked around. We got separated and I could barely see pass my hand.

"Guys, where are you?" I shouted.

I heard a few 'here's and 'I'm ok', but I couldn't tell where they came from.

"Wait, the firing stopped!" I heard someone say.

I couldn't tell if that was a good thing, or if we were about to be attacked.

"Be careful guys!" I shouted.

I just hope they heard me.

* * *

Lucario thought he heard the others, but wasn't sure who was who. He stood up and looked around. He couldn't see very far. He closed his eyes. Everything around him emitted blue. He was looking at auras. He could make out the others as they scrabbled to find each other. Then, he heard something rush behind him. He whirled around, but he didn't sense anything out of the ordinary. The sound went behind him again. He turned and still found nothing. He started to back up as he cautiously looked around him. Then, he heard breathing. Lucario stopped cold. He turned his head to look behind himself once more. Then, he saw it. He gasped in horror. Could it be…? Suddenly, everything went black.

* * *

Fox shot up as he heard the sickening sound of a person being turned into a trophy. He firmly held his gun out and quickly activated the lens on his left eye. It allowed him to see farther into the dust. He stayed in place, but kept his movements on a swivel. Whatever it was that made the sound, it was using the dust cloud as a cover. Then, he heard something dash behind him. He turned, but only saw the shift in the dust the movement left. That was too close for comfort. He heard it again, but this time when he turned he caught a glimpse of it. He still couldn't tell what it was. Fox continued to circle in place, slowly. Then, he heard footsteps coming towards him. He spun around, finger on the trigger, and froze. His lens clearly showed his attacker, and he didn't want to believe it.

"No…" he whispered.

The last thing he saw was a flash of light and then darkness.

* * *

Kirby trembled as he heard one of his friends being turned into a trophy. He couldn't see pass all this dust. He felt hopeless and afraid for his remaining comrades. He jolted his head as he heard a second defeat. What if he would be left all alone? Should he run away and leave his friends? No. He let out as much air as he could, then he sucked in massive amounts of the dust. The sucking created a whirlwind to his mouth. He shut his eyes tight for it took a lot of energy to perform this feat.

* * *

The dust cloud started to move away. A huge air current was pulling me with it. I threw a barrier around me to protect myself from the wind. The dust cloud soon disappeared and I looked to see were it went. The last puff of it went into Kirby. He must have inhaled the whole cloud.

He started coughing out the dust while the others went to him and cheered, "Good job, Kirby!"

He smiled up at them. I went to join the others, but I heard movement behind me. I turned, and then went pale. I saw Lucario and Fox lying on the ground, as trophies. Something attacked them, but I wish I didn't see who it was. He walked up and took the trophies in each arm. His back was to me, but his bat shape imprinted cape gave him away. He turned his head enough to look at me over his shoulder. His eyes seemed cold and lifeless. Then, his cape turned into bat wings and he flew over the gate, into the fortress.

I fell to my knees and whispered, "No…"

The others ran up to me and asked, "Jade, what happened?"

"He, he took them."

"Who took who?"

"Lucario and Fox…"

"Who took them?"

Tears welled in my eyes as I replied, "Meta Knight."

"What?" they all gasped.

I couldn't speak because a knot formed in my throat.

"That traitor," Sonic shouted in rage.

"Sonic, there's probably a good reason for this." Ike confirmed.

"Like what? I say he just joined whoever made this fortress so he could have a share of the world! Getting rid of the team is just the first step!"

Kirby, Olimar, and Luigi didn't know what to believe and Ike was thinking hard about this.

I stood up and said, "Meta Knight wouldn't do this! He doesn't want the world!"

They looked at me doubtfully. I know Meta Knight. He wouldn't attack us like this and he's too proud to join anyone that would want to take over the world.

"Well, whatever the case is, we need to get to the top of that fortress," Ike informed.

"Why the top?" asked Luigi.

"Don't you know? The bad guy is _always_ at the top," Sonic said as he went to help Ike open the door.

"Oh."

Ike and Sonic halted as the gate started to open on its own. The double doors slowly swung open, revealing a large court yard. When they stopped, we looked at each other. We wondered if we should go in. They expected us now. Ike answered that question when he started to walk in. Sonic followed close behind. The rest of us hesitated, but followed suit.

As we entered the court yard, the gate slowly closed behind. There was no turning back now. The closed doors echoed through the area. It was too quiet. It felt like we were being watched.


	5. Chapter 4 A Mysterious Enemy

The Darkness Has Come

By: JadeDragonKnight

Chapter 4: A Mysterious Enemy

A shadowed figure slowly walked up to the wide window that allowed anyone to see the whole fortress and beyond. His red eyes glared down at the small party entering his compound. He turned to his captured slaves. They loyally stood in attention, awaiting orders.

He pointed to one of them and commanded, "You, gather the soldiers and prepare to attack the remaining intruders."

The beast obeyed and marched out of the room.

He turned to another one and ordered, "Secure the prisoners. No one must leave."

That one quickly followed the beast out as the doors closed behind, making the room dark again. The man went back to the window to watch the intruders' demise.

"Soon, this world shall belong to you, master," he muttered to himself.

* * *

We looked around. The area was surrounded by high walls, but nothing filled the void. It seemed like we were all alone.

Sonic faced us and said, "Well, we can't do anything standing around like this. Let's go."

He began to run toward a distant doorway on the other side of the court yard.

"Wait," Ike said.

He skidded to a halt. I looked down. I thought I felt the ground rumble. We looked up at the opposite wall. A black shadow was cascading down it and continued to grow as it hit the ground. We prepared ourselves for a fight. We all knew what that shadow meant. Soon, hundreds of creatures rose from the darkness. The ground shook as they charged. I think it's time I changed fighting tactics. I closed my eyes and hunched over. Darkness began to encase my body. My nails grew long and razor-sharp. The shadow turned to dark electricity. My eyes opened, revealing a dark shade of purple. This was my dark form. I darted forward and passed Sonic in the blink of an eye. This form allows me to run almost as fast as light. I called out a battle cry as I sliced through the first set of creatures.

* * *

Two dark beings carried one prisoner to the dungeon. There were only a few left that needed to be moved.

"Hurry, the master won't tolerate tardiness."

Wolf stood overlooking the creatures as they dragged the defeated team members to the holding cell. A strange device was welded to his forehead. It occasionally sent an electric shock to his brain, making him cringe. He saw the last captive being hulled to the cell. This one was a handful to capture because of his many explosives. He turned and dashed to his master's room to await more orders. Then, something fell off the trophy and snapped to the floor. The creatures didn't take notice as the item started to rhythmically flash a red light.

* * *

We were in the heat of battle now. We were separated again. Each of us was taking on our own group of monsters. I couldn't tell if the others were ok because I had my hands full. I didn't let the black clouds blind me like they did before, but I was getting really exhausted. They just kept coming. I stood back and took uneven breaths. They didn't attack me as I did this, but it looked like they were laughing at me. I took a deep breath and continued to fight. I sure hope we get a break through soon.

* * *

Olimar tried the best he could to stay alive. He commanded his many Pikman to attack the fiends. A little ghost appeared every time one was slain. Olimar would quickly pull more out of the ground and keep fighting back at the same time. Then, he heard one of his Pikman cry out in pain. He whirled around to see it was being crushed in the hand of a monster. Wait, this wasn't a monster. The Pikman faded into a ghost and Olimar was next in line.

* * *

Luigi hated battling these things. It's not like he was 'a lover, not a fighter', it was because he wasn't used to fighting them. He threw punch after punch and a few kicks, but they didn't seem to go away. Only more came to overpower him. Sweat streamed down his face. He jumped back and wiped the sweat off his brow. Then, something stomped up to him. He trembled a bit, but shook it off. He turned and slowly looked up at the beast that stood over him. It roared down on his face, leaving some spit behind. Unfortunately, Luigi knew this beast all too well.

He fell to the ground while pleading, "Wait! Don't do this now!"

Then, his whole world went black.

* * *

I fell on my hands and knees. I was about ready to give in. Those creatures stood around me and started to close in. I could see that I was reverting back to normal.

"Alright, that's it." I muttered.

I gathered all the energy I had left. My dark form returned and I stood tall. Dark static danced on my body. I clasped my hands together above my head. I yelled a battle cry as I slammed my hands on the ground. A great dark wave surged out in all directions. It dissipated any creature it touched. The shock wave ran out to the very edges of the massive court yard. I had returned to my normal form and I was almost too weak to stand. I looked up and saw that the others had hit the floor, but they were fine. I also thought I saw someone familiar. He towered over Olimar and Luigi, and they were trophies. I tried to get up and help them, but I was too weak. I watched the large turtle-like creature take them up in each arm. He turned toward me and showed his face. There was no doubt now. It was Bowser.

I won't lie to you. I got pretty mad. First Meta Knight attacks us, and now Bowser thinks he can show up and do the same thing.

I struggled to get up, but when I did I weakly said, "You let them go."

I gradually broke out into a run towards him. I noticed the others joined in, but abruptly stopped.

I heard Ike shout, "Jade, behind you!"

I stopped and turned to see something was speeding towards me. It was a dark arrow. I didn't get enough time to dodge it. The arrow went right through me as everything went dark.


	6. Chapter 5 The Only Ones

The Darkness Has Come

By: JadeDragonKnight

Chapter 5: The Only Ones

Jade's trophy form flew through the air and landed right in front of Bowser. He took her up, along with Olimar and Luigi, and started to retreat. Ike dashed up to rescue them. Sonic and Kirby followed behind. Bowser turned towards them and roared. That's when Ike noticed a strange chip was on Bowser's forehead, right between his horns. Ike poised his sword high as he prepared to attack. Right before Ike could attack; a black shadow raced up and formed a barrier between him and Bowser. The shadow encased Bowser and blocked all view of him. When Sonic and Kirby caught up, the fog disappeared, and so did Bowser.

Ike dropped to his knees and slammed his fists on the ground in frustration. Sonic and Kirby stared at the ground in defeat. They were the only ones left. All of their comrades had been captured, one by one. It seemed hopeless to continue. They all knew they would be overpowered soon. What will become of the world once they are gone?

Ike stood tall, faced the others, and said, "Our friends are gone and some have attacked us. We are in small numbers and can be defeated in the next attack."

Sonic grimly looked up and added, "Ike, this isn't helping."

"But we've all been in situations worse than this." He grinned. "What more can they do? They've thrown everything they got at us and we're still here."

He held his fist halfway up.

"We can do this."

Sonic cocked his fists back and said, "Yeah."

Kirby jumped up and cheered, "Piyo!"

Ike turned around, held his sword by his side, pointed up at the top of the fortress, and said, "Let's finish this."

* * *

Crimson eyes glared down at what was left of that pitiful party. There were still three left, and they looked more determined then ever.

'_Those fools. Do they really think they can defeat me?'_

"Master, the prisoners are secure."

The dark man looked over his shoulder. That arrogant animal interrupted his thoughts. Oh well, he will pay soon enough.

"Good," the man replied impatiently.

At that moment the large doors slowly swung open to reveal the beast he sent to get rid of that insignificant group. The man looked through the window again. He caught a glimpse of them dashing out from view.

"You have not done your job. Did I not send you to capture the intruders?"

The beast replied regrettably, "They were too powerful my liege. I did manage to imprison three-"

"Three isn't good enough! I ordered you to get rid of them all!"

The dark man had to retain his anger. He would have his way with them all soon enough. He turned and looked over to a dark figure in the corner.

"You have served me well so far. I have another task for you."

The bright yellow eyes stared coldly back at him.

"I want you to dispose of the rest of them."

The figure stepped into the dim light. The controlling device on his forehead sparked more than the others. He refused to speak and seemed more like an empty shell of a person. The knight was obviously fighting his control, but he doesn't show any progress. The man guessed how long it would take for him to lose his entire will.

He pointed out the doors and commanded, "Go."

His servant bowed slightly and headed out the doors. They slowly closed behind him and the man resumed his thoughts.

* * *

Ike, Sonic, and Kirby ran to the edge of the courtyard. The small, distant doorway enlarged greatly as they neared it. They were certain that once they cross through there will be another army of shadow creatures waiting for them. They didn't care. They simply thought to themselves _'bring it on!'_ They reached the entrance and slowed their pace. Kirby marveled at the large passageway. Sonic was mildly impressed and Ike kept his mind to the task at hand. Once they passed through, they tensed up and waited for an attack. They entered a smaller courtyard that was domed over by a large glass window. Even though it was the middle of the day, the glass made the sun look as cold and dark as the moon. A great staircase was at the other end of the area. Ike halted as he noticed some movement in the distant. A huge shadow, following an appearance of creatures, came into view.

"Here we go again," Sonic said, ready for battle.

"These guys wouldn't quit," Ike muttered, raising his sword.

Kirby saw the army and prepared to charge. The creatures continued to gather. This group wasn't as big as the last one. Then, they surged forward, filling the air with their horrible shrieks. Ike, Sonic, and Kirby charged headlong into the fight, mixing their battle cries with their enemies.

* * *

Meta Knight continued to walk through the halls to find the intruders. His inner struggle with his controlled mind left him almost completely detached from the world. He was losing his will and was slowly giving in to the darkness. He didn't notice a faint red light flashing in the distance until he was upon it. He stepped on a small device and heard a click. Then, a huge flash erupted from the device, followed by an explosion. Meta Knight flew backwards from the huge force. He slammed onto the ground a few feet away. He didn't move for awhile. He was in shock. Then, his eyes slowly fluttered open. His vision was blurred, but gradually cleared. He sat up and placed his hand on his aching head. It was still spinning. He looked around and saw a wisp of smoke coming from the epicenter of the explosion. He also saw something sparking not too far away. He weakly stood up to get a better look at it. He walked over to see that it was a strange chip. He absently touched his forehead and felt two small holes in his mask. That device on the ground was the very thing that has kept him in the dark for so long. The mine he stepped on blew it off. Now, he was free, but he had a hard time figuring out where he was.

All he remembers was the fight with those dark creatures. He had charged headlong into a group of them and seemed to be doing alright in fighting them off. The only problem; he wasn't watching his back. Before he knew it, he felt a sharp pain in his back. The immense pain was enough to take his breath away. A creature had plunged its claws into Meta Knight's back. When the monster pulled out, he turned into a trophy. He remembers seeing faint images of a man and voices in his head. Darkness kept blinding him and threatened to consume him. Now, he was in control again.

He looked to his right out of a thick window that served as the other wall. He noticed movement on the ground below. He came nearer to the dark glass and saw a horde of shadow creatures brawling with unknown enemies. He looked closer to see that Ike, Sonic, and Kirby were the ones fighting them. Wait, were they the only ones that came to this place, or were they the only ones left? That didn't really matter now. Meta Knight began to dash through the corridors to reach the others.

* * *

"This doesn't look good."

Sonic continued to fend off the relentless monsters. He dodged sharp claws, kicked incoming creatures, and used his special homing attack to clear his space.

"How ya doing, Ike?" he shouted.

Ike kept on slicing his way through the large, dark forces. Each dissipating cloud blurred his vision for brief seconds.

"Not so good," he replied.

He did a huge circle and wiped out all the monsters around him.

"Where's Kirby?"

"I don't know!" Sonic shouted back. "He's a tough little guy; he can take care of himself!"

"I hope you're right," Ike mumbled to himself as he fought off more creatures.

* * *

Meta Knight ran through the seemingly endless halls. He constantly glanced out the window at the fight to make sure he was going the right way. Suddenly, two dark creatures fazed through a black shadow in front of him. He skidded to a halt. These things are just going to slow him down. He drew his sword and clutched it in both hands. The dark forms charged at him. Meta Knight didn't move until they were two feet away. Then, he lunged forward and passed in between them, his sword in front. He landed behind them and held his blade to the side. The creatures had stopped when he flew between them. Then, they both parted at the middle and dissipated into black clouds. Meta Knight continued to sprint toward his struggling comrades.

* * *

A dark monster jumped in the air and threw its claws forward. A small hammer slammed into it and tossed it back into the crowd. Kirby retrieved his mallet and continued to fight the on coming beasts. He was separated from Ike and Sonic when the creatures began to corner him. He could normally inhale his enemies and absorb their powers, but whenever he tried to do this the forms would revert to clouds and choke him. Kirby's strength was beginning to wane. He couldn't hold those things off much longer.

* * *

Meta Knight stopped in front an enormous staircase. It led down to the courtyard where the fight was taking place. In moments, shadow creatures lined the great stairs. They closed in on the knight. He poised his sword high and ran down to meet them. He slashed the first attackers. They disappeared into black smoke as more came through the cloud to overpower him. He placed the flat side of his sword in his other hand and deflected the strikes. Then, Meta Knight jumped high in the air. He used his wings to propel him forward as he went into a rolling spiral. The monsters watched and waited for him to land. He landed with is back to them, but quickly turned, his sword glowing, and summoned a great energy from his sword. As he slashed the air, a bright light escaped the blade and erupted on contact with the stairs. This attack was dubbed Sword Beam. Meta Knight turned to look for his teammates. He noticed Kirby was struggling. His cape once again shaped into wings and he flew forward.

* * *

Sonic and Ike whirled around as they heard a huge explosion.

"Great, what now?" Sonic complained as he went back to fighting.

Ike continued fighting as well, but didn't say anything. None of the shadow creatures made an attack like that. Hopefully someone on their side has entered the fight.

* * *

Kirby was thrown against the wall. He fell back on the ground and weakly looked up at the monsters that stood over him. They held up their claws as they poised for the final blow. Kirby closed his eyes to prepare for the pain that would come. Then, he heard brief shrieks of pain. He looked up to see the creatures dissipated into black clouds. When the clouds cleared, he was shocked to see Meta Knight was standing in front of him. His back was to Kirby, but he looked over his shoulder silently encouraging him to get up. Kirby was taken back, but he stood up. Meta Knight nodded slightly, turned, and flew into a mass of shadow creatures.

Kirby remembered that Jade said Meta Knight attacked them earlier, so why is he helping them now? He also remembered that Meta Knight sometimes has ulterior motives. At any point he'll know what's really going on later. His rival is on his side now so he should take advantage of that. Kirby swiftly charged in the army and continued fighting with renewed confidence.

* * *

The number of enemies seemed to dwindle. If nothing else bad happens they might be able to walk away from this fight. Sonic and Ike stood back to back. Shadow creatures slowly closed in. Both the warriors were exhausted, but they weren't going to give up so easily. They looked at each other over their shoulders. They smirked and nodded. They quickly locked arms as the monsters lunged at them from the change of movement. Sonic jumped up as Ike threw out his sword and started spinning. His sword sliced through the forces as Sonic ran across the airborne creatures. Their combo attack reduced the monsters to black smoke. More of them shot up in the air above the duo. Ike saw the mass and threw Sonic up to meet them. At the peak of the toss, Sonic formed into a sphere and used his homing attack to defeat the suspended fiends. The mass turned into a dark cloud. Sonic flew through the fog, bounced off the ground and landed next to Ike. They looked around at the remaining creatures and continued fighting.

* * *

Meta Knight hovered above the dark group with his wings instead of fighting on the ground where he was more vulnerable. He constantly swooped down and slashed the creatures away. Any monsters that tried to get him down would be caught in his tornado attack. There weren't many of them left. Then it occurred to him, what was he going to do when this fight is over? He doubted the remaining team members would let him join up with them to defeat this mysterious foe. He can't remember doing anything to them, but he didn't really want to know what he did while he was in darkness. He flew back down to the ground and attacked what was left of the army. _'I guess I'm going solo from here' _he thought to himself.

* * *

The last of the creatures had finally been defeated. Sonic looked around the battle field with pride. No one was lost. Maybe they can defeat this new threat after all. Then, he stopped, eyes wide. Meta Knight stood on the other side of the courtyard. He growled with frustration.

"If he thinks he can walk away with another one of us, he's got another thing coming!" Sonic shouted.

He dashed towards Meta Knight as rage filled his eyes. He threw up his fist and made a battle cry as he was about to come down on him. Meta Knight turned around to see Sonic's fist stop right in front of his face. Sonic was stunned to see that Kirby had held his arm back.

"Kirby, what are you doing?"

He simply shook his head and looked at Sonic with pleading eyes. Sonic stared at him confused and took his arm back.

"Don't you remember," Sonic stated pointing at Meta Knight, "he's the enemy now!"

Meta Knight remained silent. He was waiting for the reason Sonic thought this way. Ike walked up to the scene and examined him.

"Tell me, do you recall having a chip on your forehead," he asked.

"Yes. It was a mind controlling device. What I don't recall is anything I did while it was on me."

"You can't be serious," Sonic added, still frustrated. "You mean you can't remember attacking us?"

Meta Knight tensed slightly at that statement and replied, "No."

"I don't believe this," Sonic muttered as he took a couple steps away with his hands on his head.

"Well," Ike started, "there's only one way to figure this out."

He started walking towards the staircase. Meta Knight watched Kirby follow close behind. Then, he casually joined them. Sonic turned and saw everyone was going ahead.

He ran up behind Meta Knight as he began to climb the stairs, stopped him, and angrily whispered, "You may have them fooled, but I'm watching you."

He dashed up the stairs to join Ike and Kirby. Meta Knight stood there for a brief second then continued to ascend. Sonic's remark didn't worry him.

He chuckled to himself and mumbled, "I'm glad someone's watching my back."


	7. Chapter 6 Recapture

The Darkness Has Come

By: JadeDragonKnight

Chapter 6: Recapture

A fist slammed down on the tinted glass. Most of his forces have been defeated and he didn't have time to regroup them. As if that wasn't enough, one of his slaves has broken free and has joined this rebellion.

The shadowed man murmured to himself, "So, this 'Meta Knight' has broken my seal."

Then he realized something and smirked.

"Maybe I can use that…"

He remembered the human that completed his transfer to this world.

He turned to his remaining servants, pointed to the swift animal, and ordered, "You prepare the female prisoner 'Jade' for the transformation. She could come in very useful."

The wolf nodded and dashed out the doors. The man went back to the window and waited for his plan to unfold.

* * *

The remaining team members had silently walked through the endless halls for quite a long time. Sonic was practically bored out of his mind with the slow pace and the silence.

"Can't we go any faster?"

No one answered him. Sonic threw his head down in defeat. Ever since the last huge battle with those things, nothing happened. Nothing attacked them, nobody talked, and nothing interesting caught his attention. He noticed that they were coming up to a weird door in the middle of the wall. Ike, Kirby, and Meta Knight walked by it with no interest, but it mysteriously slid open when Sonic walked up to it.

He stopped to look inside and shouted, "Hey guys! It's Jade!"

They all came running back and peered inside. Jade's trophy form was on a stand at the far end of the room.

"I'll go get her. Be right back." Sonic ran into the room.

Kirby happily followed, contented to finally find a lost teammate.

"Wait a second."

Sonic and Kirby stopped, already halfway in the room.

"This could be a trap," Ike stated.

"Who cares? Jade's going to be trapped forever if we don't get her out of here."

"Poyo," Kirby said in agreement.

Sonic and Kirby proceeded to get Jade. Ike and Meta Knight looked at each other in doubt. Sonic casually lifted the trophy from the stand and smirked down at Kirby. He cheered back up at him.

They started to leave as Sonic said, "See? That was easy."

Then, they heard a strange noise. They both looked up to see a hatch in the ceiling slide open. Suddenly, a giant cage dropped down and trapped Sonic and Kirby.

Everyone gasped and Sonic shouted, "What the heck?"

Then, dark electricity lined the walls. Ike looked up at the doorway as thick spikes appeared at the top and a thick door started to come down to seal the room. Ike darted under the door, threw up his hands in-between the spikes, and held the massive iron open.

"Guys, do something!" Sonic shouted, his fear obviously rising.

Sonic and Kirby had reverted to trying to lift the cage. Meta Knight went to help, but was thrown back by the static, keeping anyone from entering. Ike struggled to hold the door open. Meta Knight sat up from the ground, still a little dazed. He stood up and tried to come up with something.

Then, he drew his sword and shouted, "Kirby, take this!"

He tossed it through the waning opening. Kirby saw it coming and started to suck in air. The blade was sucked in and Kirby swallowed it on impact.

"Ow. That had to hurt," Sonic muttered.

Suddenly, a white light enveloped Kirby.

"Yes, it's working," Meta Knight said.

"What's working?" Ike struggled to ask.

The light disappeared and Kirby came out in a different form. A long green cap sat on his head and Meta Knight's sword was at his side.

"It's one of Kirby's abilities, Sword Kirby," Meta Knight answered.

Kirby jumped up and began to slice through the cage with ease. It fell apart and collapsed on the floor in pieces.

"Hurry!" Ike shouted through gritted teeth.

Sonic grabbed Jade and they ran towards the door. They jumped through and were mildly shocked in the process. They slammed into Ike and Meta Knight as they all fell to the ground. The door clamped shut and purple light from the intensified static shined under the entrance.

Everyone lay dispersed on the floor. They got up slowly, trying to shake off the pain.

Meta Knight turned to Kirby and said, "Good job," Kirby smiled at him, "but I need that back."

He snatched his sword from Kirby. His hat formed into a star and popped off. Meta Knight withdrew his sword as he walked towards Jade's trophy form, as everyone did. They looked at each other. Ike nodded. He reached for the base of the trophy and lightly touched it. The trophy emitted a blinding light. The light disappeared, revealing Jade sprawled on the ground. Her eyes fluttered open and looked up at the others staring down at her.

"Jade, you alright?" Sonic asked.

She tiredly smiled back up at him and replied, "Yeah, I'm alright."

Ike pulled her up. She looked around at them all then her smile disappeared when she saw Meta Knight. He became puzzled as she glared at him. She walked over, tight fisted. He looked up at her in confusion. She threw up her hand and slapped it across his face.

"Ooo," the others cringed.

Meta Knight placed his hand on his cheek and groaned.

"Why did you attack us," Jade shouted.

Still rubbing his face, he replied, "It's hard to explain-"

"Then start talking!"

Jade still glared at him with her arms crossed.

He resumed his angry stare and explained, "I was being controlled. I didn't know what I was doing." He sighed and said, "I'm sorry if I hurt you."

Jade let out a sigh, loosened up her stance, and looked down at the ground. She had some trouble believing him, but he had no reason to lie.

"Hard to believe, isn't it," Sonic piped in.

"I'm sorry," she looked back at him, "I was just worried."

Meta Knight lowered his arm and nodded. Jade uncrossed her arms and grinned.

Sonic clapped his hands together, calling upon everyone's attention, and said, "Well, glad that's settled!"

Then, they heard a rumble in the distance. They looked down the corridor and saw something was fast approaching.

Jade looked closer and asked, "Is that Wario?"

The yellow motorcycle came to a stop in front of them. Wario hopped off, and so did his passenger, Ganondorf. They grinned devilishly at the group. Then Meta Knight noticed that they both had mind controlling chips embedded in their foreheads.

"Be careful. They're not one of us," Meta Knight stated as he drew his sword.

The group prepared for battle. Ganondorf took a few steps back. Wario leered at them then started cringing. Everyone became puzzled. Then, his belly started to expand. The team looked shockingly at the short man. Wario turned around and pointed his butt at them.

"He's gonna blow!" Sonic shouted.

"Run," Ike shouted as he started running.

Everyone turned and ran as fast as they could down the hallway. Wario winced and released a huge fart. The green gas traveled quickly through the hall and engulfed the party. They began to cough and ceased running from lack of air.

"That was so wrong! He farted on us," Jade complained in-between coughs.

"Don't breathe it in," Meta Knight said with his cape wrapped around his face.

"You don't have to tell me twice," Sonic muffled from his elbow.

Kirby started sucking in air to remove the cloud, but choked on the horrible fumes. He then went dizzy and passed out.

"Kirby," Ike shouted, but breathed in the gas and began coughing again.

Jade fell to her knees with one hand covering her mouth.

She continued to cough and weakly muffled, "It really stinks."

Then, she collapsed to the ground and fainted. Sonic and Ike soon followed.

Meta Knight looked around the haze. His vision was slightly blurred by tears from the coughing. Everyone was unconscious. He whirled around when he heard someone approaching. Ganondorf and Wario came into view and stood in front of him. Wario took a big whiff of the fog and chuckled. Meta Knight cringed in disgust. Ganondorf walked towards him. He held up his sword in defense. Ganondorf simply swatted it out of his hand. The blade slid up to the window. His eyes widened as a large foot slammed into him. He flew backwards and fell on his back. He coughed as he tried to catch his breath. Then, Ganondorf walked over and grabbed his throat. Meta Knight clutched the arm as he was raised in the air. Now he couldn't breathe at all as the hold tightened. Ganondorf smirked coldly then drove Meta Knight into the floor. The ground caved in from the immense force of the impact. Ganondorf continued the hold Meta Knight there as he raised his fist. Darkness clouded around it. He let out a battle cry as he came down.

_'That's enough.' _

The mental command stopped him short. He glared at the knight. He had already passed out from the impact. He released his grip on his throat and snatched his collar. He walked back to Wario, dragging the knight behind. Wario grinned at him as he mounted the back of the motorcycle. Then, it wheeled around and took off down the hall.

* * *

The dark man held his hands behind his back. He looked out the window at the world beyond. Then, the doors opened and revealed two of his minions. The tall one threw the captured knight on the floor before him. He half turned as a grin creased his face. Meta Knight gradually stood and looked up at the crimson eyes staring back at him. He was disarmed, but he could still put up a fight. He ran towards the man. Then, a chain shot out from the darkness and clamped shut on his arm. Meta Knight tried to pull away, but a second chain came from the opposite direction and locked his other arm. He struggled to get free, but it was no use. The man casually walked towards his prisoner. He mentally commanded his servants to leave. They all went out the doors, leaving him and the knight alone.

"Tell me, knight," he spat, "what is it you fight for?"

Meta Knight glared up at the approaching man.

He continued, "Is it this pathetic world, or your so called friends?" He stopped and slyly added, "Or maybe it's that female human. What was her name again?"

Meta Knight fought against the chains as he defiantly replied, "Stay away from her! All of them!"

He frowned down at him and hissed, "Why do you care? Everything about this miserable planet sickens me!"

"Then what do you want?"

He started to walk again.

"It's not what I want," he began, "it's what He wants."

He stepped into the dim light and faced the rebellious warrior. Meta Knight stared up at his captor's face and froze.

"Arseus," escaped his trembling voice.


	8. Chapter 7 The Final Battle

The Darkness Has Come

By: JadeDragonKnight

Chapter 7: The Final Battle

My eyes fluttered open. I tiredly sat up and scanned the others who haven't woken up yet.

"Guys, wake up," I shouted.

They started to move. Ike was the first to get up. His hand was on his head.

Sonic stood up and sighed, "It's nice to breathe fresher air."

Kirby staggered up and coughed out a little cloud of green gas. He swatted it away in disgust. I looked around and worry instantly struck me.

"Where's Meta Knight?"

The others looked around for him, but he was nowhere to be found.

"Come here guys. Take a look at this."

Ike was kneeled on the ground in front of a crater. Kirby and Sonic ran over to check it out, but I kept looking around for something, anything, that would help.

"Looks like Meta Knight was in a fight with Wario and Ganondorf. I have a feeling he was in this hole," I heard Ike say.

They started to have a conversation about the fight, but I couldn't tell what they were saying. I tuned out after I saw Meta Knight's sword on the floor. I picked it up and looked doubtfully at it. He must have gotten hurt. Maybe he was captured again. I clutched the hilt and turned to the others.

"We have to go after them," I stated.

The others stood up and walked over.

"I think you're jumping the gun, Jade," Ike affirmed.

"I don't care. They have Meta Knight for a reason. Why do you think we're still here?"

They looked at each other.

"They're probably doing something terrible to him and the others," I persisted.

I knew they agreed with me, but I don't think they were willing to charge into battle again.

"Fine, if you wouldn't help me I'll go by myself."

I turned and walked down the hall. _'I don't need them. I can take care of this myself.' _I heard someone run up behind me. I looked over and saw Kirby was walking beside me. Then, Sonic ran up to my other side. He looked at me and gave me a thumbs-up. I looked to my other side again and saw Ike had joined us. He nodded at me and grinned slightly. I looked at all of them and gave them a warm smile. I looked ahead and saw something was coming towards us. I tensed when I saw it was Bowser, Ganondorf, Wario, and Wolf. I held the sword tighter and began to walk faster. Our enemies did the same. We picked up the pace into a jog. They mirrored our movements. We gradually broke out into a run, as did the dark forces. We quickly closed in and we all mixed battle cries.

* * *

The dark man glared coldly down at Meta Knight and hissed, "No, I'm not who you think I am."

Meta Knight looked back up confused.

The man frowned at his hand and began, "This form was the only thing suitable I could find in that girl's memories." He formed a fist as darkness enclosed it and continued, "I shall be trapped in this weak, human body until I gain enough power to unleash my true form."

He threw his fist behind him and glanced back at his captive.

"To answer your previous question," he stated turning, "I'll have to give you a history lesson."

Meta Knight attempted to get comfortable. He could tell he was going to be there for a while.

"When this universe was created," he continued as he gazed out the window, "it was held in balance by two forces, light and dark. After some time, The Dark Master, ruler of all darkness, had a dream of reshaping the universe. He began to send his forces to other worlds to conquer them, so he could destroy the planet and make it apart of the Dark Realm. However, the forces of light did not understand his will. Both forces have been at war with each other ever since." He turned back to the knight and prolonged, "My master has been eyeing your planet for some time. You pathetic earthlings have lived in peace for too long."

Meta Knight glared at him and replied, "You might as well go home now. Your 'master' is not getting this world."

"Humph," he breathed in antipathy. "Tell me," he asked still glaring at Meta Knight, "have you seen any other dark forces before me?"

Meta Knight was taken back.

The dark being turned back to the window and continued, "There was once a very powerful dark being. His power was said to be only second to the master himself." The man began to return to his prisoner and continued, "He was sent to this world to claim it, but his transfer was not complete. He lost his incredible power and his memory." He stopped in front of the knight and leaned in closer. "Have you ever heard of something like that?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Meta Knight answered indifferently.

The man straightened and replied, "I didn't think so, but maybe this will interest you." He turned and took a few steps away. "I can give you dark powers beyond your imagination. All you have to do is say 'yes'."

"Not interested," Meta Knight defiantly answered.

"I'm sorry," the man retorted raising his hand, "but this is not a choice."

He snapped his fingers. Dark electricity instantly raced down the chains and consumed Meta Knight. He bellowed from the intense pain as the static continued to shock him. The man stood there, unconcerned of the screaming prisoner. Finally, he snapped his fingers again. The electricity stopped flowing. Meta Knight fell against the chains that kept him up. He panted from the breath taking pain.

The dark being turned to him and coldly said, "Unless you want to get shocked again, I suggest you agree to my terms."

Meta Knight glared up at him and audaciously replied, "Never."

The man shook his head, turned again, and snapped his fingers once more. The knight was immediately electrocuted. He cried out again, still to no interest of the dark man.

* * *

Ike and Sonic were almost finished in dragging the defeated rivals to the side of the wall. Once their mind controlling chips came off they fainted and we didn't bother waking them up. Kirby already took care of destroying the chips. I stood there overlooking the situation. Then, Meta Knight's sword began to vibrate in my hand. I brought it closer to my face to examine it. It shook violently as I continued to stare at it. "Guys, come here. Meta Knight's sword is shaking," I called without looking up.

They gathered around me and looked questionably at the blade.

"Whoa, that's weird," Sonic said wide eyed.

Just then, we heard a cry of pain echo down the hall.

"That sounds like Meta Knight," Ike said.

Worry struck me, but I immediately ran forward and called to the others, "Come on, we have to hurry!"

I could hear them running after me. I glanced down at the trembling sword and pleaded that Meta Knight was going to be alright.

* * *

Meta Knight's weakening cries of agony filled the lit up room. The dark man still faced the other way. He didn't care for the knight's pain, for anyone's suffering.

"This pain can be avoided if you just say that simple word," he called over the bellowing.

Meta Knight could feel his strength fading. He didn't want to give in to this strange person's demands, but he was afraid that if he didn't give in, he would lose his life. The man snapped his fingers and the room went dark again. Meta Knight fell and stared at the ground as he tried to regain his breath. The man knelt down in front of him and raised his head enough to see his eyes.

"Why do you continue to fight the inevitable? We both know what you want."

Meta Knight stared weakly back at his piercing crimson eyes. He looked down and let his head fall, in defeat. The man stood and grinned. His hand became shrouded in darkness. He slowly reached for the knight to transform him. Meta Knight waited for whatever was going to come, ready to let everything go. The darkness licked at his skull. Suddenly, the large double doors shot open. The dark man stepped back as the room lit up.

"Meta Knight!"

"Jade," Meta Knight muttered as he quickly looked over his shoulder.

He was surprised to see that Ike, Sonic, Kirby, and Jade were standing there at the doorway.

The dark man glared at them and shouted, "It's too late!"

In an instant, he lashed out and grabbed one of the chains with his clouded hand. The darkness left his fist and slowly traveled down the shackle. Everyone gasped as the haze consumed Meta Knight's arm. He started struggling when it began to completely engulf him. He cried out from the pain as the darkness started to take over. He suddenly stopped. The haze clouded his vision and everything went black.

* * *

Meta Knight fell against the chains. The darkness continued to change him. My blood ran cold when I saw the bat symbol on his cape turn red. His gloves turned dark blue and I could just see his metal shoes change silver. That man just stood there, smiling. Wait, is that Arseus? Then, the haze disappeared. We held our breath. He still hasn't moved. Suddenly, his hands shot up and grabbed the chains. He easily pulled the shackles apart. They fell to the floor and faded away. I didn't know what to think at this point. Is he alright? With his back still towards us, he slowly raised his hand in the air. The sword started to shake in my hands. Then, it shot towards Meta Knight. He caught it and a dark haze shrouded it. The points grew longer and sharper. He slowly turned and faced us. I froze when I saw his soulless red eyes. They seemed to burn with a hidden anger.

Arseus kept grinning, until he pointed his finger at us and ordered, "Kill them."

In a spilt second, Meta Knight lunged at us and Sonic went flying through the air. He slammed into the rightmost wall. Meta Knight had Sonic by the throat before I could blink. Ike ran up to help, but Meta Knight threw Sonic at him, knocking them both to the ground. I was shocked and confused. I couldn't move. Why would he do this? He walked towards the downed warriors, but Kirby ran in front of him and held his stubby arms up in defense. Meta Knight looked down at him then raised his hand towards him. Dark static encircled his hand then it shot out and threw Kirby into the pile. He continued to walk toward them, raising his sword as he did. I shook my head to wake up from the shock.

"Meta Knight, stop!" I shouted.

He halted and faced me.

"Jade, no!" they shouted at me.

Meta Knight shocked them to keep them quiet then he raised his hand at me. My eyes widened as dark electricity engulfed his arm. Then, it shot out and I went flying. I slid across the floor and hit my head against the wall. I held it from the jolting pain. I looked up to see Meta Knight standing on me and holding his sword high. He drove it down. I caught the hilt, the tip of the sword a few inches from my neck. I struggled to keep it away. Meta Knight kept pushing as hard as he could. He had gotten stronger. I had to get him to stop. I held the sword with one hand and raised the other to his face. "Meta Knight, you have to stop," I struggled to say.

He glanced at my hand then clutched my wrist and sent dark static down my arm. The darken sword inched closer. He was really going to kill me. My strength started fading.

"Meta Knight, please. He doesn't control you. You have to fight it."

My vision began to blur. The last thing I saw was the raging fire in his eyes calming.

* * *

The darkness began to clear when he heard her voice.

"Jade," he muttered as he started to see her.

He froze. Meta Knight was holding his sword to her throat. Her hand dropped off and fell lifelessly to the floor. He saw that he was clutching her wrist and released it. It too fell to the floor. He was horrified. All he could think of was the cruel fact that he must have killed her.

"What are you waiting for? Kill them all," the dark man ordered.

He regained his fury. Meta Knight turned towards the creature.

He glared at his crimson eyes and replied, "You don't control me."

Dark static erupted around him and danced on his sword. The man glared at him then grinned.

"You just made a terrible mistake," he hissed.

The man hunched over and cringed. Ike, Sonic, and Kirby finally got up from the shock. They all witnessed the imposter's transformation. Thick purple spikes shot out from his back and ripped through the cloths. His fists changed into large claws. His feet tore through the boots and formed three sharp toes. A spiked tail lashed out and slammed the ground. Its whole body went purple. Then, it roared at Meta Knight showing his razor-sharp teeth and a forked tongue. Its crimson eyes encircled purple snake-like pupils. The final form was twice the size of its old one.

"You see," the monster hissed, "this is the true power of darkness!"

The others were shaken at the creature that stood before them, but Meta Knight stood unmoving. Dark electricity continued to dance around both of them. Suddenly, Meta Knight flew straight at the monster, darkness trailing behind. The beast threw up his claws in defense. His sword struck them and he flew behind the monster. He quickly turned and held up his sword to block the speeding claw coming at him. They continued to fight at lightning speed. The others could barely see their blurred movements.

"Please, someone tell me he's on our side for good this time," Sonic blurted out.

Kirby glanced at them. He didn't know what to do now, but neither did Ike or Sonic. Suddenly, the creature swatted Meta Knight away. It whirled around and faced them with dark static dancing on its claws. It shot the darkness at them, but Meta Knight came in-between and blocked the attack, hurting himself in the process.

"Go! Find the others," he shouted through gritted teeth.

Ike and Sonic didn't hesitate. They left the room in search of the team. Kirby didn't move. He didn't want to leave his rival for dead.

"What are you waiting for? Go now," he commanded.

The monster intensified his attack. Meta Knight groaned loudly from the force. Kirby hesitated, but he ran out of the room and down the hall.

"Trying to be the hero now," the beast suggested through his increasing smirk.

Meta Knight glared at his opponent while continuing to absorb the attack.

The creature raised its tone and added, "Unfortunately, all heroes die!"

Meta Knight held his hands out and shot his absorbed energy against the dark lightning. The monster's grin disappeared.

"Fortunately," Meta Knight replied, "most villains die with them!"

He combined his own energy with the absorbed power and pushed the creature's attack away. The monster grew wide eyed as the dark static came closer. Then, the electricity collided with it and created an explosion. The beast made a horrible screech as smoke formed around the area. Meta Knight bent down and panted. Sweat beaded on his head. He looked up at the cloud. Suddenly, a claw shot out of the dust and grabbed his throat. He dropped his sword from the impact. The monster stepped out of the smoke and held Meta Knight higher in the air. He struggled to break free as he began to lose his breathing.

"This is where you die, knight," the beast spat.

Just then, something knocked the creature away. Meta Knight landed on the floor and reclaimed his sword. He looked behind him to see the entire team standing at the entrance. The monster stood and roared down on them. Meta Knight faced the beast and stood fearlessly before it. The team then charged their attacks. Light encased the room from the power they all emitted. Finally, they fired their attacks at the same time. The combined force flew right by the unflinching knight. The monster stood back stunned. It didn't move as the immense power hit it. It crashed through the window and was thrown high into the night air above the fortress. He saw Meta Knight walk up to the edge of the smashed window and glare up at it, his sword glowing. Then, he slashed the air as a light escaped his sword. The light raced up to meet the beast. It sliced through the dark being. The monster let out a cry of pain and burst into black smoke.

Meta Knight watched the cloud fade away. He turned to the others and nodded. Cheers of victory escaped the crowd. Suddenly, the floor shook. The cheers stopped then they stumbled when the ground jumped down and crashing noises filled the room. The ceiling started to crumble and collapse.

"This place is falling apart," someone shouted.

Meta Knight thought for a second then shouted, "Everyone, group together, now!"

They came closer together as Meta Knight raced over. _'I hope this works' _he thought to himself. He took his sword and drove it into the floor. A purple light emitted from the blade and circled the crowd. A wall of light came from the circle and surrounded the team. Meta Knight got an image of the Halberd. Then, the light intensified and disappeared altogether, and so did the team. Meta Knight leaned on his sword for a moment to catch his breath. Falling debris collected on the cracked floor. He looked up and saw that Jade was still lying on the floor. He withdrew his blade and ran to her side, dodging rubble as he did so. He saw that she was still lifeless. Even if she might be dead, she didn't deserve to go down with this dark fortress. Meta Knight took her up in his arms and flew towards the window. He swiftly dodged falling debris as the whole stronghold started to crumble to the ground.


	9. Chapter 8 Return

The Darkness Has Come

By: JadeDragonKnight

Chapter 8: Return

The team watched as the fortress began to lose its grip on the mountain side. They all knew that Meta Knight and Jade were still in that crumbling mass. Some of them gasped when the stronghold fell from the mountain and crashed to the ground. The whole mass dissipated into a purple fog then disappeared altogether. There was still no sign of the two remaining team members. Then, Lucario stepped forward and pointed in the distance.

"Look," he stated calmly.

The light of the moon showed a figure in the distance. As it came closer, they noticed that it was Meta Knight flying towards them. A round of victory cheers erupted from the crowd. Then, they stopped cheering when he halted and walked closer, holding Jade in his arms. He paused in front of them and slowly placed her on the ground. He stepped back, not taking his eyes off her, as the others came to get a better look. Some knelt down to examine her. Some looked to Meta Knight for answers, but he had disappeared. There seemed to be no trace of him.

* * *

The stars had faded away as the sky grew lighter. Thin streams of clouds were slowly being dyed pink. A cool breeze glided over the rocky mountain top. This is where Meta Knight stood, away from the team. His dark form seemed to match the changing horizon. He looked to the sky in troubled thought.

"Jade, I'm so sorry."

He reached for his mask. He took it off and placed it on the ground. Then, he drew his sword. He held it in both hands and raised it above him. The point barely touched his forehead. He looked at it for a few moments then took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He held the blade tight and readied to drive it in, ending his life.

"STOP!"

His eyes shot open. He lowered his sword and whirled around. He couldn't believe it.

"What are you doing?"

Jade stood there and looked him up and down to make sure he was alright. She must have went looking for him, but wasn't she dead? Meta Knight was speechless. He just stared at her. She finally walked over and knelt down beside him.

"I…I thought I killed you," he replied meekly.

Jade shook her head and said, "I'm ok. The others said you carried me out of the fortress when it came down."

He sighed and looked away. He was still ashamed about what he did to her. She looked at him with sympathy.

Then she giggled and said, "You look kinda cute."

Meta Knight's white eyes shot open again and his blue cheeks blushed. He franticly searched beside him for his mask.

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone," Jade added smiling.

He sighed as he brought the mask to his face. Jade's smile disappeared.

"What's wrong," she asked.

"I never wanted this," he replied, still looking away.

"Me to see your face," she asked with a hint of sarcasm.

"No," he replied holding up his hands, "this."

"It's not that bad-"

"I hurt you, Jade," he added looking at her. "I didn't want this power. I never should've given in to him."

"You didn't have a choice." She sighed and added, "We'll think of something. This can't be permanent."

Just then, a light in the distance caught their attention. The sun was beginning to rise over the mountain ridge. Wisps of darkness started to emit from Meta Knight. As the sun rose higher, more of the darkness seemed to evaporate off him. His normal color began to return. Finally, the darkness seized evaporating and Meta Knight returned to normal. Meta Knight continued to check himself from the sudden change.

"See," Jade stated, "you're back to normal now."

He looked at her and nodded. He seemed to be in higher spirits. They both got comfortable and watched the sun rise.


	10. Epilogue

The Darkness Has Come

By: JadeDragonKnight

Epilogue

Meta Knight walked through the woods in solitude. It's been a few hours since the team went their separate ways again. He came to a large hill that overlooked the forest. He saw that the sun was setting. It started to sink below the trees. He planned to go back to the castle after it went down. It finally disappeared into the horizon. Suddenly, Meta Knight thought he felt a large pulse go through his body. Then, pain swiftly followed and went straight to his head. He hunched over and clutched his burning head. Darkness began to circle him and envelop his body. He shut his eyes tight from the intense pain. His body color changed into that of his dark form. Then, his piercing red eyes shot open.

THE END...?


End file.
